What it means
A broker finds you a load, and you agree on a price. The rate confirmation puts that deal in writing. Your invoice will be checked against it, so what's on it, or missing from it, decides what you get paid.
It's usually one to three pages, often with terms and conditions attached.
What a rate confirmation looks like
Layouts vary by broker, but the content is similar. Here's a made-up example:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Broker | Example Logistics Inc. |
| Carrier | Your company |
| Load number | ABC-12345 |
| Pick up | Calgary, AB, Nov 12, 08:00 to 16:00, ref 7781 |
| Deliver to | Toronto, ON, Nov 15, appointment 10:00, ref 9920 |
| Commodity and weight | Packaged goods, 18,000 kg |
| Equipment | 53 ft dry van |
| Agreed rate | CAD 4,200.00 all-in, before tax |
| Detention | CAD 75 an hour after 2 free hours |
| TONU | CAD 250 |
| Payment | Net 30 from receipt of invoice and signed POD |
| Send documents to | [email protected] |
You can download a blank rate confirmation template if you need to issue your own.
Rate confirmation vs bill of lading
| Rate confirmation | Bill of lading | |
|---|---|---|
| Between | Carrier and broker or shipper | Shipper, carrier and consignee |
| Purpose | Sets the price and conditions | Records the goods and the contract of carriage |
| Created | Before pickup | At pickup |
| Shows the carrier's rate | Yes | Usually not |
| Goes with the freight | No | Yes |
See how the bill of lading and proof of delivery fit in.
What to check before you sign
- The total matches what you agreed on the phone.
- The currency. A $ sign alone could mean CAD or USD. Ask for it in writing, especially on cross-border loads.
- The dates. 03/04/2026 can mean March 4 or April 3. Confirm the month.
- The weight units. Kilograms or pounds.
- Appointment times. "First come, first served" on the phone and "10:00 sharp" on paper aren't the same.
- Detention, TONU and lumpers. If they aren't written down, they're hard to collect.
- Payment terms. How many days, starting from when, and which documents are required.
- Tax. Is the rate before or after GST/HST? In Canada the tax depends on the route.
- Fine print. Look for fines, deductions, clauses that make you cover the broker's losses, and rules about sending paperwork.
Red flags
- You're told to start driving before you get the rate con.
- The sender's email domain doesn't match the broker.
- Pickup details stay vague until the last minute.
- The terms let the broker decide later whether to pay accessorials.
- Payment terms are unusually long.
Check who you're dealing with. For a US broker, you can look up its registration in FMCSA's records. Ontario revoked its load broker regulation in 2006, so check a Canadian broker's history and references in other ways.
From rate con to invoice
You need the same details from the rate con again on the invoice. That's where mistakes happen when you retype them. Our product reads them for you, shows each value next to the text it came from, and lets you confirm the load before anything is saved. Then invoice the broker with the right documents attached.
Sources
- FreightWaves: How to read your rate con like a pro
- FreightWaves: 5 red flags on a rate confirmation sheet
- Ontario: O. Reg. 556/92, Load Brokers (revoked January 1, 2006)
This guide doesn't replace the law or professional advice, and rules change. Check the sources above before you rely on it.